


Somnambulation

by Martienne



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-22
Updated: 2014-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-23 11:57:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3767266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Martienne/pseuds/Martienne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's only been a few days since Agent North has received his AI, but they're starting to figure each other out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Somnambulation

“I don’t like this song.”

Theta’s pronouncement had come after a protracted silence on his part and North’s attention was immediately diverted. He leaned forward slightly, his expression becoming one of quiet concentration as he mentally communicated with his AI. Theta stayed out of sight most of the time when there were other Freelancers nearby, quietly observing the goings-on as North ate and worked out and recreated. It was only in the safety of North’s quarters that he could coax the program to project an avatar and speak to him aloud. This was what North found most comfortable, as concentrating mentally took some delving into his own mind and concentrating on the words he was projecting to the AI. It was getting easier, though, and until he could do more to coax the AI out of his shell, North was determined to meet him in his comfort zone.

“You want me to go?” There were several employees of the Project in the common room and North didn’t feel he could just reach over and turn the music off.

“I want not to listen to this anymore.”

North nodded quietly, marked his place in his book, and got up to leave. It was late, 2200 by the ship’s reckoning, and he really ought to get to bed anyway.

“You’re not going ask me why, are you?” Theta asked, appearing nearby as North made his way down the empty corridor.

North let out a small hum, shaking his head. “I wasn’t going to, no.” Theta had his quirks, and on top of that he was nervous, and North had made a policy of not pushing things. Once they had had more time to get comfortable with one another he might be more willing to delve into the whys of things, but for now that wasn’t an end goal. It was just a potentiality.

“I didn’t like it,” Theta said, kicking his foot at nothing. “I don’t like music.”

They’d been in the common room for at least half an hour before Theta’s protest. “You could have said something before that,” North said.

“I didn’t want to.” Theta’s avatar sat down, cross-legged, and hunched its shoulders a bit. “Now you’re going to bed.”

“I’m going to bed, yeah. I’m not going to pull you this time, though.”

Theta looked up at him. “You’re not? Why?”

“I shouldn’t have done it the first time.” North wished he could reach out a hand and lay it on the childlike avatar’s shoulder. Instead he projected the feeling of it in his thoughts, as well as he could anyway. This was all still very new. “It’s okay, Theta. I’m going to do everything I can to help you get used to all of this.”

Theta put his hands on his knees. “Thanks, North.”

North returned to his room and began to change for bed. Theta remained seated until North lay down, and then Theta imitated North’s positioning. “You can read your book out loud if you want. I don’t mind.”

North smiled slightly, reaching for his book off the side table and slipping his finger into the spot he had marked. “I can read to you, Theta. If that’s what you want.”

Theta stayed quiet. North took that as an affirmative and began to read. After a chapter his fatigue overcame him and he yawned, setting the book aside once again. Then he lay back, setting his hands behind his head, and closed his eyes.

“North? I… I don’t want you to go to sleep yet.”

North opened his eyes, then sat up. “That’s okay. What do you want me to do?”

“I’unno. I don’t want to sit still in here. I just like it when we’re not sitting still.”

“You feel restless.” North stood and stretched. “I can walk around for a while. Would that be good?”

“Yeah,” Theta said, his tone more appreciative, less sullen. “I’d like that.”

Many things changed throughout their partnership, circumstances that North could never have imagined until they came to pass, but even when they were on the run and their lives were in danger there was something that never changed, and that was their nightly walk before bed.

It was the way North showed Theta that he was keeping him safe.


End file.
